Roof ruler



Dec. 26, 1950 K. B. MARQUISS ROOF RULER Filed Nov. 5. 1948 IN V EN TOR. KENNETH B. M420U/J'3,

ATTOQNEYS.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROOF RULER Kenneth B. Marquiss, Redlands, Calif.

Application November 5, 1948, Serial No. 58,377

3 Claims. (Cl. 3392) Zhis invention relates to carpenters tools, and more particularly to a device for use with a carpenters square for laying out lengths of rafters and other timbers required for roofs and the like.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved measuring tool for use in conjunction with a carpenters square, whereby hypotenuse lengths such as lengths of rafters may be readily determined from a knowledge of the rise" and run of a roof, said tool being very simple in construction, easy to manipulate, and providing quick accurate readings.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved measuring tool using a carpenters square in conjunction therewith which enables the user to find the length of a rafter or other inclined member of a building frame or root structure from data providing the pitch angle of the inclined member, said tool requiring only two simple adjustments to operate, involving only a few parts, being inexpensive to manufacture, and being very compact in size so that it may be readily carried in a carpenter's kit.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a carpenter's measuring tool constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the adiustable wing member employed to receive the tongue of the carpenters square, as employed in the measuring tool of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line i-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, ll designates the m in body member of the tool, said main body member comprising an elongated straight bar of suitable rigid material having the downwardly and outwardly inclined marginal flanges I2 and I3. The intermediate portion of body member I l is formed with an elongated longitudinally extending headed rib It on which is slidably mounted a block 55 formed with a. window overlying flange i2 in which is secured a cylindrical lens I6. Flange I2 is marked off in inches. Stop abutm nts H, H are provided at the ends of the rib M to prevent the block l5 from being removed from the rib.

Designated at 18 is a i annel-shaped wing 'flanges 25 and 25.

2 member having a, flat topsurface l9 terminating in an enlarged portion 29. Projecting upwardly from portion 29 in alignment with the left margin 2| of channel surface l9 as viewed in Figure 2, is a stud 22 extending through a longitudinal slot 23 formed in the zero end portion of body member H. A washer 22 is provided on stud 22 beneath body member ll. Threaded on stud 22 is a wing nut 24. The channel member [8 is formed with horizontal outwardly projecting base The tongue 2'! of a conventional carpenters square. shown in dotted view in Figure l is snugly receivable in channel member l8.

Pivoted to top surface IQ of member l8 at 28 is a flat arm 29 having a lateral extension 30 which terminates in a downwardly bent operating finger 3i extending parallel and adjacent to the left marginal wall of channel member 18, as viewed in Figure 2. Secured to the inside surface of finger 3| is a le f spring 32 which bears on said left marginal Wall and biases arm 29 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2. Pivotally connected to the end portions of arm 29 are respective laterally extending arms 33 and 34 pa sing through respective guide, sleeve 35 and 35 provided on flat surface 9. The arms 33 and 3A have downwardly bent finger portions 3,? and as received in openings 39 and All formed in the sides of channel member i8 and being clampingly engageable with the side edges of the tongue 2'! of the square received in the channel member. By pressing the finger 3| inwardly, arm 29 may be rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, to release the clamping pressure exerted by fing rs 3'! and 38.

At the right side of the channel member I8 the 'wall thereof is cut away over a substantial length,

- body member H is then set to the desired pitch angle by referring to the relative scale values on the outer edges of the tongue and blade of the steel square and is then slid longitudinally until the zero point on the flange I2 is at the intersection of the outer edge thereof with the outer edge of the tongue of the square. Wing nut 24 is then tightened. Finger 3| is then pressed inwardly, releasing the clamping fingers 3i and 38, and the device is then moved along the tongue of the square until the length of the run (on a scale of 1 inch=1 foot) appears on the outer edge of the blade 40 of the square at the intersection of the edge of flange l2 therewith. Finger 3! is then released, whereby the clamping fingers 3'! and 38 again clampingly engage the edges of the tongue of the souare. The lens 18 is then moved over the intersection of flange l2 with the outer edge of blade 40. Assuming flange 12 to be calibrated in the same manner as the square, or in a manner having integral relationship with the calibrations of the square, the length of the rafter will then be readable direct y from flange l2.

Under conditions where the rise is in excess of the run and the length of the tongue 2'! is not great enough to accommodate the wing member I8 in the position of Figure 1, the position of said wing member may be reversed by rotating it 180 from the position of Figure 1. Under these conditions the calibrations on the outer edge of tongue 21 may be observed through the elongated opening 39, enabling the device to be used in the" same manner as above described.

It will be seen from the above that the tool provides direct accurate readings of desired rafter lengths and other roofing lengths such as hip, valley and jack rafter lengths without confusion, without complicated calculations and without loss of ti e.

Whi e a specific embodiment of a measuring tool for use in conjunction with a carpenters steel square has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carpenters measuring tool of the character described comprising an elongated body member provided at one edge with a scale of linear units, a lens slidably mounted for longitudinal adjustment on said body member and overlying the calibrated edge thereof, said body member being formed with a longitudinal slot adjacent the zero end of said scale, a downwardly facing channel member having aligned with one side thereof an upwardly projecting stud passing through said slot, a clamping nut on said stud, whereby said channel member may be angularly and longitudinally adjusted with respect to said body member, an arm ivoted to the channel member, a clamping finger connected to said arm and projecting through a side wall of said channel member, and spring means biasing said arm in a direction to urge the clamping finger inwardly in the channel member, said channel member being formed at the marginal portion thereof opposite said stud with an elongated opening. extending along said marginal portion.

2. A carpenters tool of the character described comprising an elongated body member provided at one edge with a scale of linear units, a lens slidably mounted for longitudinal adjustment on said body member and overlying the calibrated edge thereof, a downwardly facing channel member positioned below said body member adjacent the zero end of said scale, an upwardly projecting stud in alignment with one side of and carried by said channel member and extending through the adjacent portion of said body member, a clamping element engageable with the free end of said stud, an operating finger positioned adjacent the side wall of said channel member and mounted on said member for movement toward and away from said side wall, and spring means carried by the inner face of said operating finger and engageable with the side wall of said channel member for urging the finger away from the side wall of said channel member.

3. A carpenters measuring tool of the character described comprising an elongated body member provided at one edge with a scale of linear units, a lens slidably mounted for longitudinal adjustment on said body member and overlying the calibrated edge thereof, said body member being formed with a longitudinal slot adjacent the zero end of said scale, a downwardly facing channel member having aligned with one side thereof an upwardly projecting stud passing through said slot, a clamping nut on said stud, whereby said channel member may be angularly and longitudinally adjusted with respect to said body member, an arm pivoted tothe channel member, a clamping finger connected to said arm and projecting through a side wall of said channel member, and spring means biasing said arm in a direction to urge the clamping finger inwardly in the channel member.

KENNETH B. MARQUISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Numer Name Date 335,293 McKinney Feb. 2, 1886 446,882 OMarra Feb. 24, 1891 820,311 Oehrle May 8, 1906 842,585 Ross Jan. 29, 1907 1,480,925 Wright Jan. 15, 1924 1,770,304 Ferris July 8, 1930 1,773,899 Kaler Aug. 26, 1930 1,871,176 Hall Aug. 9, 1932 2,031,661 Mendenhall Feb. 25, 1935 2,269,841 Blair Jan. 13, 1942 2,436,686 Coffey Feb. 24, 1948 

